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Dominion, Volume 14, Issue 146, 16 March 1921, Page 4

There are now two Chinese furniture factories in Auckland, and although the workers are comparatively fow in number, they are managing to turn out fairly large quantities of goods (reports the Auckland correspondent of an exelinnge). Ono of the places of business has been running for about a year. The other establishment is more recent, ’having been opened about the beginning of this year. General cabinet-making is carried out. but in neither place is there anv modern machinery. The Chinese, it is stated. adopt their own methods, using Eastern benches and Eastern tools. As is not infrequent in the case of Chinese businesses in Shis country, the cabinetmakers are excluded from the' operations of (he trade award. The more recently established factory, for instance, is run as a. company, the hands being co-part-ners, so that hours wf labour, wages, and such like arc Ihnir own concern. Both places, of course, are subject to i'he provisions of the Factory Act so fur as the conditions of the factory are concerned. The Chinese question was con, sidered recently at a joint meeting of representatives of employers and employees in the trade. One remedy sug-: gested was that the education test for Asiatics should be based on the requirements of the Sixth Standard certificate of the public schools. This, it was felt, would react on ehe type of (.11’nese coming intto New Zealand, with a result that their standard of living would be altered. At present the question of future restrictions ha? been left in the hands of the Cabinet, but ’lie matter will be raised by the Labour member# of Parliament during the eestion.